Top Free Streaming Music Applications / Radio Stations

Sometimes if you just don't feel like listening to your own music catalog and want to discover something new (or something old that you forgot about), there are some really good free streaming music services to fill the need. They are essentially free online radio stations with added functionality.

Here's my top three picks:

• Pandora - Enter a song name or artist and Pandora builds a station based on similar songs and artists. It's a great way to discover new artists based on something you already enjoy. Pandora has a super clean intuitive interface. If you register it will also remember your stations each time you visit.

• Last.fm - What started out as a social music site has grown into a large catalog of free music. Last.fm is great if you want to listen to a particular song but there "radio' service is subscription based. The social aspect and add-ons are really a bonus.

• Slacker - My current favorite. Slacker has a massive selection of stations that cover just about every musical taste from Jazz to Metal and everything in between. They also offer some premium services and portable radio players that start at $199. The hardware looks really good and I would love to try one but to be honest would not get enough use out of a portable player while I have my iphone filling my portable media needs.

There are so many options in this particular market right now but these are the cream of the crop. Some also offer paid services but the free selections are great. They offer the enjoyment of a radio station but the convenience of more modern day web technology.

If you know of any other services you think top these, let me know and I will check them out and add them to the page.